Sunday, February 16, 2025

The Passing of Love Notes (Double Meaning Intended)

 

The Passing of Love Notes (Double Meaning intended)

Roses are red, Violets are blue, Sugar is sweet, and So are YOU!

Now the older folks here may remember passing notes like that in Study Hall – or maybe even in class or church – heaven forbid.  We passed love notes – and other notes as well, of course.  But I suppose the passing of love notes is not done among the young folks anymore.  That practice has, indeed, passed.  Now they slip their phones out and text little heart emojis.

Some of us believe we miss so much from communication that is by texting and emailing and such.  And yet, I know personally that you can develop strong feelings and emotions through the written word – no matter how it is conveyed.

Love letters have been written and shared for as long as writing has been a thing.  Many were romantic – some erotic even – but some were about that bigger kind of love that we lift up here in church, sometimes referred to as Universal Love, or Agape Love, or God’s love.  Thankfully – those letters have been passed as well, passed down to us so that we may learn of the wonders of love.

These love notes or love letters have not passed away.  We have them today.  And since this month includes Valentine’s Day- which honors St. Valentine, who wrote a letter to the jailer’s daughter before his execution and signed it “Your Valentine” – I decided to share and explore some  love letters with you today.

The first is one that is familiar to us all.  If you haven’t heard it at church, you’ve heard it at weddings.  Though it’s often shared at weddings, it is not about marriage – the author, Paul of Tarsus, was not really in favor of marriage, unless you just couldn’t help yourself from sinning without it.  Now there is much writing attributed to Paul that I take issue with – but he really was progressive and insightful about some things – especially if you consider the context of his culture and his upbringing, etc.  This passage in his letter to the Corinthians is one that I cherish.  Paul writes:

13 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned,but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is Love.

I think I could preach five or six sermons on that passage – and maybe one day I will.  For today, though, I will let Paul’s words just speak for themselves.

The second love letter that I want to share with you was SAID to be among 1400 letters that Einstein left to the Hebrew University, with orders not to publish their contents until two decades after his death.  This letter from Einstein to his daughter started popping up on the internet quite a while back.  There is no evidence that Einstein wrote this letter – and in fact – he was not a good father according to any evidence there is.  This daughter Liesel did exist – but she was conceived out of wedlock before he and his wife married – and was left for her maternal grandparents to raise or was adopted.  There is some indication that she may have died when she was two.  But I do like this letter.  It must have been fabricated by someone trying to get into an old Einstein’s head – and imagining that he may have changed in terms of his love for this daughter and wanted to prove the power of Universal Love.  And perhaps for now – we can do that as well.  Here is the letter attributed to Einstein – written to his daughter Liesel.

"When I proposed the theory of relativity, very few understood me, and what I will reveal now to transmit includes and governs all others, and is even behind any phenomenon operating in the universe and has not yet been identified by us. This universal force is LOVE.

When scientists looked for a unified theory of the universe they forgot the most powerful unseen force. Love is Light, that enlightens those who give and receive it. Love is gravity, because it makes some people feel attracted to others. Love is power, because it multiplies the best we have, and allows humanity not to be extinguished in their blind selfishness. Love unfolds and reveals. For love we live and die. Love is God and God is Love.

This force explains everything and gives meaning to life. This is the variable that we have ignored for too long, maybe because we are afraid of love because it is the only energy in the universe that man has not learned to drive at will. To give visibility to love, I made a simple substitution in my most famous equation. If instead of E = mc2, we accept that the energy to heal the world can be obtained through love multiplied by the speed of light squared, we arrive at the conclusion that love is the most powerful force there is, because it has no limits.

After the failure of humanity in the use and control of the other forces of the universe that have turned against us, it is urgent that we nourish ourselves with another kind of energy… If we want our species to survive, if we are to find meaning in life, if we want to save the world and every sentient being that inhabits it, love is the one and only answer.

Perhaps we are not yet ready to make a bomb of love, a device powerful enough to entirely destroy the hate, selfishness and greed that devastate the planet. However, each individual carries within them a small but powerful generator of love whose energy is waiting to be released. When we learn to give and receive this universal energy, dear Lieserl, we will have affirmed that love conquers all, is able to transcend everything and anything, because love is the quintessence of life.

I deeply regret not having been able to express what is in my heart, which has quietly beaten for you all my life. Maybe it's too late to apologize, but as time is relative, I need to tell you that I love you and thanks to you I have reached the ultimate answer!"

The last letter I want to share is, for sure, a fictitious letter – but many truths are conveyed through the writings we label as fiction.  Just because it’s in a work of fiction – doesn’t mean it isn’t true.

This is an excerpt from one of Celie’s letters to God – of all things – in Alice Walker’s book, The Color Purple.  In this letter to God, Celie is sharing about a conversation she had with Shug about Shug’s concept of God and how it had changed.

“Shug a beautiful something, let me tell you. She frown a little, look out cross the yard, lean back in her chair, look like a big rose. She say, My first step from the old white man (god) was trees. Then air. Then birds. Then other people. But one day when I was sitting quiet and feeling like a motherless child, which I was, it come to me: that feeling of being part of everything, not separate at all. I knew that if I cut a tree, my arm would bleed. And I laughed and I cried and I run all around the house. I knew just what it was. In fact, when it happen, you can't miss it. It sort of like you know what, she say, grinning and rubbing high up on my thigh.

Shug! I say.

Oh,
she say. God love all them feelings. That's some of the best stuff God did. And when you know God loves 'em you enjoys 'em a lot more. You can just relax, go with everything that's going, and praise God by liking what you like.

God don't think it dirty? I ast.

Naw,
she say. God made it. Listen, God love everything you love? and a mess of stuff you don't. But more than anything else, God love admiration.

You saying God vain? I ast.

Naw,
she say. Not vain, just wanting to share a good thing. I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it.

What it do when it pissed off? I ast.

Oh, it make something else. People think pleasing God is all God care about. But any fool living in the world can see it always trying to please us back.

Yeah? I say.

Yeah,
she say. It always making little surprises and springing them on us when us least expect.

You mean it want to be loved, just like the bible say.

Yes, Celie,
she say. Everything want to be loved. Us sing and dance, make faces and give flower bouquets, trying to be loved. You ever notice that trees do everything to git attention we do, except walk?”

Shug is right, y’all.  Everything wants to be loved – and everything needs to be loved. 

What do these three love letters  – have in common?

I see three common themes – here I go with a Trinity again, just can’t seem to get away from it – even in this Unitarian church.

The first is the Universality of Love.

Paul reminds us that:  Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  He also says that Love never ends.  I truly believe that this is how we have eternal life – not by rising up to some new plane of existence in a city with gold streets and mansions.  My son Fred loved me and he fixed things for me that I still have – and he said things to me that I remember.  Fred and I disagreed on lots of things – but he loved me supremely and would do anything to protect me. Fred’s obituary says he died on December 27, 2019, but I still have his love with me.  And I try to pass it on to you. Love never ends.  It’s universal. 

Of course, the letter attributed to Einstein is all about the Universality of Love.  The author states that “love is able to transcend everything and anything, because love is the quintessence of life.”

And in Alice Walker’s fictitious letter from Celie to God – Shug explains that EVERYTHING wants to be loved.

The Second theme is the Power of Love!

Paul lifts up the power of love – especially as compared with our human nature without the power of love.  He says that “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;[b] it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”  That’s the power of love.

The ”Einstein” letter states it directly – even providing a formula for it.  The author says that Love is power, because it multiplies the best we have, and allows humanity not to be extinguished in their blind selfishness. Love unfolds and reveals. For love we live and die….”  The author further implores us of the necessity for using the power of love with these words:  “After the failure of humanity in the use and control of the other forces of the universe that have turned against us, it is urgent that we nourish ourselves with another kind of energy… If we want our species to survive, if we are to find meaning in life, if we want to save the world and every sentient being that inhabits it, love is the one and only answer. “

In Alice Walker’s fictitious letter, Shug hints at Love (even erotic love) being the best thing God did- and the power of loving what God loves.  She says “And when you know God loves 'em you enjoys 'em a lot more. You can just relax, go with everything that's going, and praise God by liking what you like.”


The third theme in this trinity of letters is Our need to focus on, give, and receive Love!

Paul says: If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

“Einstein” reveals this need by sharing his regret.  He says:  I deeply regret not having been able to express what is in my heart, which has quietly beaten for you all my life. Maybe it's too late to apologize, but as time is relative, I need to tell you that I love you and thanks to you I have reached the ultimate answer!"

And In Walker’s fictitious letter, Shug shares this about our need to love and desire to be loved: Yes, Celie, she say. Everything want to be loved. Us sing and dance, make faces and give flower bouquets, trying to be loved. You ever notice that trees do everything to git attention we do, except walk?”

My friend Laura Milner shared with me recently that as her mother approached the very end of her life – she held both her daughters’ hands.  Now Laura has shared with me that she and her sister are very different in many ways, religiously, socially, and politically.  But the thing their mom wanted them to see was the importance of sharing their love with one another – how much they need that – And the message she had for them in the end was this – - and I’m quoting Laura directly here -  “Mother said ‘Love is everything.’  That night and again in her final hours, she encouraged us to develop and nurture the kind of close relationship she enjoyed with her sister for more than 80 years. “ That was what was on Laura’s mother’s mind till the end – that Love is Everything! – and that they needed to love each other.  And they did get closer in those weeks at their mother’s bedside.  But we don’t need to wait, folks.  We may not have that opportunity.  We need to reach out now, today if possible.

The chorus of the song we shared earlier says it all – especially this year:  What the World needs now – is Love, sweet love.  It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of.  What the World needs now, is Love, sweet love – no, not just for one, but for everyone!

May it be so!

 

Monday, January 27, 2025

The Times They are a Changin'

 

 Acknowledgement:  The following message uses information from Wikipedia, Google, various articles and not error free) and my own memories, for what they’re worth. Additionally, I must also acknowledge that this message was written under the influence of Alka Seltzer Plus – Severe Cold Formula.

 

1964 ------------Still Grieving the assignation of President Kennedy, we witnessed the beginning of a war that was not called a war – not in 1964. 

President Johnson sig
ned the Gulf of Tonkin Act giving him all necessary actions including military force for this Vietnamese non-war in 64.

And there’s much more – including The Civil Rights Act of 1964 – changing political loyalties in the South – forevermore; or so it seemed.

King won the Peace Prize, China tested an Atomic Bomb, the Beatles invaded and brought some new songs.  Freedom Riding students from the North were slaughtered in the South, more rumblings in the streets, times were changin’, there’s no doubt.     Meanwhile, my heart was broken by my first boyfriend, I cried myself to sleep and thought the sorrow would never end.   And there was much more – in 1964 – I had a bad fall from my skateboard, and I still feel sore.     All that and much more – in 1964.

One of the happenings of 1964 was the release of an album by Bob Dylan including the title song = “The Times they are a Changin.”  He never released that song as a single in the US – but it was covered by many, many others including Peter, Paul, and Mary – and the one we heard by Burl Ives.

I thought this song would be a good sacred text for this message on MLK Sunday – our Justice Sunday.  It’s a prophetic text – for it still has much meaning for us today – maybe even more meaning today than in 1964, as we enter a time, like we’ve never faced before with so many in powerful positions who hold sway over future possibilities for us and others.  Does this prophet Dylan (previously known as Robert Zimmerman) have a message for us today. 

And why should we listen to someone like him anyway?  We couldn’t get tickets on Christmas Day – but on Boxing Day, Greg secured seats – separate but equal – in the Mall Theater in the suburbs of Chicago, so that he, his mom and me could see the movie – “A Complete Unknown.”  Of course, Dylan wasn’t unknown for long – especially after he sang this song.  Is Bob Dylan a prophet.  Well, that’s what I contend – or pretend – or portend, and I’ll extend that declaration and defend this proclamation with an exegesis of this text.  No, I did not say “EXIT Jesus!”  Jesus is always welcome here.  Exegesis is simply an examination and interpretation of text – often scripture, but not necessarily, for who is to define what is scripture?

I’ve selected three themes – a trinity if you will accept that construct in this Unitarian gathering – and will attempt to provide some explanation or expectation or revelation for those who hope to thrive or survive in 2025 --- and beyond, when hopefully MAGA (mawga)will be just a sad SAGA we share. 

The first theme of this song is the Inevitability of Change – reflected right there in the title.  As Unitarian Universalists, we lift up and revere change.  What does the T stand for in JETPIG – Transformation.  But we are thinking about positive change.  And even we don’t want everything to change. Unitarian Theodore Parker wrote a famous sermon that was somewhat controversial in his day called,“A Discourse on the Transient and Permanent in Christianity,” arguing that while the outward forms and traditions of Christianity may change over time, the core principles of love, justice and morality remain eternally true and unchanging --- and it’s these permanent aspects of our faith that matter.  A more recent UU ancestor Forest Church wrote about the American Creed outlined by Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence about those truths that should be self-evident and unchanging.  This is the creed that Martin Luther King, Jr. lifted up with his dream that this country might someday "rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed." 

We encourage changes that will more fully help us live up to these core values.  But the changes we fear this year may wash those values away if we are not ready to resist in a way. to persist in a way that will work. Those of us living in southeast Georgia have a recent realistic model to guide us.  We have recently had horrible hurricanes and storms come through.  And the sides of our roads still have mounds of trees that have fallen in its path.  But the storm didn’t get them all.  The trees that could bend and swerve and have flexibility made it through.  And that’s what we are going to have to do folks in the coming years.  We need to hold on as best we can to our values yet – find ways to bend and swerve, give and take, go over and under the waves of misinformation and misguided maneuvers till this storm has passed.  And we will do this with help from each other.

The second theme of Dylan’s song is Inclusivity – with Justice and Equity for all.  “Come gather round people wherever you roam and admit that the waters around you have grown.”We are not in a small pond of similar tadpoles anymore.  This is a teaming ocean with all kinds of creatures great and small.  “And you’d better start swimming or sink like a stone – for the times, they are a changin.”  This ain’t no private pool we are in folks.  We have to swim with others and help one another and love one another.  Dylan calls out to “Writers and Prophets who prophesize with their pens” as well as to politicians – great and small, all are called to hear his message.  It’s for everyone.

I’ve heard lots of folks talk about moving and trying to find somewhere that folks were more like us.  It can be hard to live here.  But there are enough of us, and of course, we have neighbors who have a very different view of this world.  Yet - We still have commonalities we can work on together. We just have to find each other and encourage one another. 

AND, and, and -  we have to find ways to be more interactive and work together with family members and neighbors who may not share all our values.  We need to seek them out and be willing to focus on the values we share as we move forward.  You know, we already reach across theological and political divides to feed the hungry.  And more recently, we are reaching out and working closely with our Catholic friends (Hail Mary)– who differ with us on many things but who are as concerned as we are about our immigrant families. 

The third theme – and maybe one that’s especially evident for me at this time in my life is that there is a generational shift that we have to accept and appreciate. 

Come mothers and fathers -
Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is rapidly agin'
Please get out of the new one
If you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'

Wow.  That’s hard for some of us who have been doing this work for so long. But we need to listen to that prophetic voice.  I’m trying to do just that.  I’m doing a “step down” retirement – first after 19 years as your minister – retiring from the Statesboro church in June of this year and plan to retire from the Brunswick church in June of 2027 (giving them a couple more years since I’m in my 11th year with them).

We’ve got a lot of wise elders in our UU congregations – but some of us have realized that other folks may find different ways of doing things  - and that’s okay.  All of us need to learn to listen, and to know when to step forward and when it’s time to step back a little.  Now don’t get me wrong, we still greatly need all of our senior volunteers.  You are the ones with great knowledge and some time. But we sure do need to encourage and listen to younger folks and different folks as well. We will have to do that to overcome the difficulties that are ahead. 

Because – The Times they are a Changin’!  You see, me and Joe B. – we heard that melody – And are stepping back.  But that old DJ – scratched on through – shame on you. 

You may have noticed that the title of this message has two parts – the first was the title of this song, “The Times they are a changin’”and the second part was a question –Shall We Overcome? –an obvious reference to  “We shall overcome” that became a theme song for the Civil Rights Movement in the 60’s and 70’s.  And my response – of course – must be,  Yes we shall.  We MUST  Overcome.

The civil rights anthem, "We Shall Overcome", was adapted from a gospel song, by Highlander music director Zilphia Horton and Highlander musician Pete Seeger from the singing of striking tobacco factory workers from the 1945–1946 Charleston Cigar Factory strike. Shortly afterward, it was published by folk singer Pete Seeger in the People's Songs bulletin. And Pete himself taught it to many in both the labor movement and the Civil Rights Movement in the 50’s.  Highlander Guy Carawan taught the song to the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee – SNCC at their first convening at Shaw University – and the rest is history.  I thought since Pete Seeger had a primary role – not only in teaching and publishing this song – but also in promoting Bob Dylan and his music since he and Woody Guthrie heard his first songs – I thought we should bring in his voice to lead us in the call and response method that he used when he sang it at many of his concerts.  Now Pete was one of us – a Unitarian Universalist – and I actually heard him lead this song at a General Assembly many years ago.  You don’t need any words.  You just listen to Pete, and he’ll guide you along while we sing. I suggest that we stand to sing this song as we close this message – and since some of us have been sick, we won’t hold hands – but maybe we can lock arms and sway together.  Will you stand, lock arms with your neighbors, and join Pete and me and sing this sacred melody.

(Congregation sings)

May it be so.